by Terrance “Lil Bear” Plummer
Matthew 17:1-9
NO ONE IS EXCLUDED FROM THE CALL, SEEING THE GLORY, AND LISTENING TO JESUS
We often feel marginalized by free society, those of us in prison. Many of us don’t believe that God would want to call us for anything. We often feel alienated from God, and disqualified from any service in The Kingdom, because of where we are. We become so caught up in the worldview of us by others, especially by those on the other side of the fence, and even those doing time with us on the inside, we build a wall, or blockade that become set in our souls, to make us believe we have no value. Then we become deaf to the voice of God. We forget that God says, “He don’t look at the outer appearance of us, but at our heart.” It isn’t good to listen to everything people feel, or say about us, and sometimes it’s not good to run with our own ideas about ourselves. We should pay attention to what God has asked us to do, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” (Matt.17:5). Find out what the Word of God has said about you. Jesus is The Word and God did say listen to Him.
When I thought about some of the men, and women that were called by God in The Bible. When I read through the genealogies of these men and women of the Holy Bible, I see men and women just like us, who were flawed with character issues and their past. Nonetheless they were called, they heard, went, and had an experience with God. It is in the experience with God that gives us that zeal to tell people how real God really is to us. This is what this text of scripture is really about for me. Until we’ve paid attention to the call, went to find out who God really is to us, and have listened to what He has told us to do (Matt. 17:5), how can we have a will, or zeal for God, so that people will know He’s real to us (2Peter 1:16) or to see souls saved whether we are in prison or free in society on the outside? We should realize that the call is for a purpose that God Himself has put forth, not by a design of our own, but designed from our flaws and character imperfections. I can almost hear Peter talking to us now, about being present at The Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-3). “Please don’t forget, I’m the one who would deny Jesus three times,” and then I think of the tempers of John and James, who were there also, wanting Jesus to rain down fire on the people because they wouldn’t receive Jesus (Lk. 9:53-54). Not only that, these two had selfish ambitions, one wanted to sit on Jesus right, and the other wanted to sit on Jesus’ left when He came into his Kingdom. They were looking for position and power for themselves (Matt. 20:20-21) but He still choose to reveal Himself in all his glory to Peter, James, and John, with all their character issues, flaws and imperfections.
This is the hope I have, that if God was willing to use these people, He can sure use me, us, free in society, or a prisoner doing time in the State Of Virginia. All of our lives are useful when we will hear the call, go where Jesus is taking us, spending enough time with Him to see His glory, listening to Him, and doing what He has told us to do. Then we realize that our lives have great value.
These are our questions here on the inside of these prison walls:
Am I good enough for God to call me to a special event, for me to see Him in a special way?
Is my life too far gone to hear from God in a serious way. Will Jesus show me His glory?
There is no person who has allowed Jesus to be the Lord of their life, that God isn’t willing to reveal His glory to. The other question is. Are we willing to accept the invitation? Jesus is always saying, “come with me, I want to show you who I really AM.” Are we willing to let Jesus show Himself to us in His revealed glory? I promise you, that he wants to, and that there is nothing wrong with any of us, or anything that has happened in our life that will keep Jesus from doing so, if we will be willing to let Him.
I ask anyone who is reading this, don’t become so occupied with what others think, or believe about you. Don’t become so self-conscious about your mistakes, failures, and the things that have happened in your past. Just listen to Jesus, God will show you Himself, and we’ll see our value. Others will also see our value with God. Let us just keep our focus on Jesus Christ.
Be the blessing that you are, and never forget, “JESUS IS LORD!!!!!……..Much love to all that read this……
Prison Lectionary 